Addressing the Climate Crisis Through Procedural Environmental Rights in the Age of Information

Evelyn Li Wang, Ph.D Candidate at the Newcastle University Law School, discusses the application of procedural environmental rights into climate change against the background of the information age...
Climate change is recognized as “the common concern of humanity.” On June 28, 2021, the European Council enacted a climate change law to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by 55% by 2030 – from 1990 levels – and to accomplish a net zero-emissions economy by 2050. Despite the legal enshrinement of net-zero and emission targets, the European Union only accounts for a limited share in global greenhouse gases emissions. Yet, at the annual summit of the Group Seven nations in earlier June, leaders from the wealthy democracies failed to agree on a coal phaseout timeline, leaving a key commitment to addressing the climate into uncertainty. While negotiations on multinational climate agreements are proceeding in various international fora, a human rights approach is arguably an alternative way to cope with imminent climate threats. This is because the adverse effects of climate change have implications for the enjoyment of a series of human rights such as the right to life, the right to food and the right to property. Climate change, a traditionally transboundary environmental problem, thus becomes a human rights issue as well. In this sense, the development of human rights related to the environment provides a possibility for citizens to deal with climate change apart from the usually uncertain political negotiations among sovereign states. This article focuses on the application of procedural environmental rights into climate change. In particular, against the background of the information age, it discusses the advantages and challenges of exercising procedural environmental rights via online platforms to cope with climate emergence.

Related Keywords

Brazil , Evelyn Li Wang , Greta Thunberg , Jair Bolsonaro , European Council , Sabin Centre Climate Change Litigation Databases , Newcastle University Law School , European Union , School Strike For Climate , Aarhus Convention On Access To Information , Group Seven , Public Participation , Environmental Matters , Sabin Centre , Climate Change Litigation Databases , பிரேசில் , ஜெயர் போல்சனாரோ , ஐரோப்பிய சபை , நியூகேஸில் பல்கலைக்கழகம் சட்டம் பள்ளி , ஐரோப்பிய தொழிற்சங்கம் , பள்ளி வேலைநிறுத்தம் க்கு காலநிலை , ஆர்ஹஸ் மாநாடு ஆன் நுழைவு க்கு தகவல் , குழு ஏழு , பொது பங்கேற்பு , சுற்றுச்சூழல் விஷயங்கள் , சபின் மையம் ,